Sunday 15th September 2013 - Bearing fruit and honouring Father - Nick Nicholson

Being fruitful, honouring Father John 15 v 1-8 Abiding in Christ and in His word is a pre-requisite to bearing fruit. It is therefore very difficult, if not impossible to be fruitful without doing both. Bearing fruit is a sign of being a disciple Bearing fruit shows that you're healthy in Christ Asking Father for what we desire as we abide in Christ produces fruit which in turn brings glory to Father. What does fruit look like? 1 really varied shape and colour (grapes, bananas, apple, pear, strawberry, star fruit 2 different sizes 3 different tastes There are a variety of fruits of the Spirit. Each has a particular shape, colour, and taste or experience reflecting the multi-varied character and personality of Holy Spirit. We bear fruits of the Spirit as we walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5v16 - 26 God is not anti joy, sex or pleasure. Jesus was the most joyful person alive and is the most joyful person in heaven! He created us with drives, passions and appetites. He saw that what He had made was good. So we mustn't think that somehow God wants to spoil our lives or be against fun. That's a lie. It's that His heart is broken when He sees these beautiful things perverted by greed or lust Temptation is defined by what is in the heart. We chose. He allows us to step into situations where what is in our hearts is exposed. It's in this way that we take grace to ourselves and He changes our heart so that we mature in Christ Strong’s - "mastery". Mastery is having control of your own spirit, soul and body. It's allowing the grace of Jesus to be exercised in us. Our appetites that are out of control can exhibit themselves in many ways and in different excesses; for example: - food and drink, anger, sex, pornography, gambling etc. - anything that controls you rather than you controlling it. Mastery means in that time of temptation, we crucify the flesh, bringing it under control, it's being watchful until it's formed in us as a pattern, it's taking a decision to be the head and not the tail, being the master and not the slave. It's knowing when to turn on the 'grace' switch. Other practical measures. 1 Be particularly watchful in your leisure time, and when you're tired 2 Study and know the Bible. 3 Another useful tip - WWJD! Galatians 5 v 1 Galatians 5 v 13